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Tenerife Queues Expose EES Rollout Strains as EU Targets September for Full Launch

Industry warnings point to four- to five-fold longer checks with contingency powers going underused.

Overview

  • New videos show long lines at Tenerife South passport control, with local reports saying only five of 36 biometric units are working.
  • Spain’s Interior Ministry rejects claims of a structural failure, attributing bottlenecks to clustered arrivals and temporary IT faults.
  • Airports Council International Europe says border processing times have risen four to five times, creating typical two-hour waits and risks of six hours in peaks.
  • ABTA urges fuller use of permitted contingency measures to scale back checks when queues build, arguing under-use has prolonged delays.
  • The European Commission has reportedly moved the target for full EES implementation from April to September during the phased rollout.